I am the Associate Dean for Digital Strategies, Impact, & Visibility at the University of Central Florida Libraries. I lead the Digital Strategies, Impact, & Visibility division (~43 FTE) which includes librarian faculty, professional staff, and over fifty student employees in the following areas:
- Digital Scholarship – This department is responsible for research, publishing, and copyright support. It also includes the Digital Initiatives unit which manages STARS, UCF’s Institutional Repository and provides services for digitization projects and data management plans.
- Web Technologies – This unit develops, oversees, and maintains UCF Libraries’ publicly displayed digital content including the Libraries’ website, affiliated web content, and digital signage throughout the Libraries.
- LibTech – This department provides a variety of technology related services to library users including technology lending, technology support, and assistance with technology tools for multimedia projects.
- Public Technologies – This unit manages desktop computing, AV studios, event spaces, assistive technology, scanning, printing, and teaching and collaboration spaces.
- Access Services – This department provides access to print and reserve materials, group study rooms, and other library resources.
- Special Collections & University Archives – This department offers access to unique and distinctive collections and university archives.
- Rosen Library – This branch library serves as the information resource center for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
- Downtown Library – This library provides information resources, integrated services, and technology to the numerous schools and departments on the Downtown Campus.
- Curriculum Materials Center – This library provides PreK-12th grade materials, as well a production lab/makerspace, in support of the College of Community Innovation & Education.
Prior to being at UCF, I was the the Head of the Design and Discovery (D&D) department in the Library Information Technology division at the University of Michigan Library for seven years. In D&D, I oversaw twelve FTE that provided web development, user interface design, content strategy, user research, and offer digital accessibility expertise and user experience strategy across the entire U-M Library web presence. My team also coordinated and managed strategic initiatives within the library providing leadership in library analytics and library discovery.
Before my tenure at Michigan, I was the Head of Web Services at the University of Houston Libraries in Houston, TX. I’ve also worked at libraries at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, and Miami University in Oxford, OH.
I have a well-rounded perspective of academic libraries having taught classes, led information literacy initiatives, provided reference services, maintained electronic resources, lead library-wide strategic planning, and redesigned large websites. I’ve had some amazing professional experiences and received some recognition for my accomplishments. I was a 2007 American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leader, a 2014 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and from 2014-2015, I was proud to be President of the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of ALA that has since merged with other divisions to become Core. I am also a 2017 alumna of the Leading Change Institute.
My research and professional interests include library technology, open source technology, user experience, DEIA, employee wellness, library discovery, service design, design thinking, strategic planning, mentoring, and organizational leadership. I also really enjoy being a mentor.
I am originally from West Chester, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati) and earned my Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English from the University of Dayton in 1999 and my Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2001. I currently reside in Orlando, FL.
Please see my full CV for more info.